Neste and Emirates Team Up for Groundbreaking Air Travel with A380 SAF Engine Trial

Photo: Emirates A380 taking off on 100% SAF. Source: Emirates

(IN BRIEF) Emirates has conducted a pioneering Airbus A380 demonstration flight with one engine powered by Neste’s sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). This milestone demonstrates SAF’s compatibility and potential as a sustainable alternative to traditional jet fuel. The flight, which took place in partnership with various aviation stakeholders, including Neste, marked the first time 100% drop-in SAF was used in an A380 engine. SAF reduces greenhouse gas emissions and can be blended with conventional jet fuel. Emirates plans to use SAF on select flights departing from Amsterdam Schiphol and Singapore Changi airports in the coming years, with Neste supplying the fuel.

(PRESS RELEASE) ESPOO, 22-Nov-2023 — /EuropaWire/ — Neste (HEL: NESTE), the world’s leading producer of sustainable aviation fuel and renewable diesel, and renewable feedstock solutions for various polymers and chemicals industry uses, announces that Emirates, one of the world’s largest international airlines, has achieved a significant aviation milestone by conducting an Airbus A380 demonstration flight with one of its engines powered by Neste’s sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). This historic flight showcases the potential of SAF as a sustainable alternative to traditional fossil-based jet fuel, with the fuel demonstrating its technical and chemical compatibility. Currently, SAF can be blended with conventional jet fuel in ratios of up to 50%.

The A380 demonstration flight, which took off from Dubai International Airport on November 22nd, was made possible through collaborative efforts involving Neste, Emirates, Airbus, Engine Alliance, Pratt & Whitney, Virent, and ENOC, which supported Neste’s SAF delivery. The flight underscores SAF’s performance and reliability as a safe aviation fuel, contributing to ongoing industry research into the benefits of using 100% SAF in terms of emissions reduction and performance.

Notably, the SAF used in this flight contains renewable aromatic content and closely resembles conventional jet fuel, making it a “drop-in” fuel that requires no modifications to aircraft or engines. This marks the first instance of 100% drop-in SAF being used in an A380 aircraft, with an expectation of full compatibility with the aircraft’s existing systems.

Neste supplied its Neste MY Sustainable Aviation Fuel™ (HEFA-SPK*), which was enhanced with the addition of the aromatic component from Virent** by ENOC to create a 100% renewable jet fuel. This SAF powered one of the Engine Alliance GP7200 engines on the aircraft, while the other three engines used conventional fossil jet fuel. Even the PW980 auxiliary power unit (APU) from Pratt & Whitney Canada, which provides power to aircraft systems when engines are not running, ran on 100% SAF.

Emirates’ Chief Operating Officer, Adel Al Redha, expressed pride in being the first airline to operate an A380 with 100% drop-in SAF, “Emirates is the first passenger airline in the world to operate an A380 with 100% drop-in SAF powering one of four Engine Alliance GP7200 engines. This is another proud moment for Emirates and our partners, as we put words into action with the research into and the trialling of higher concentrations of SAF to eventually lead to industry adoption of 100% SAF flying. This marks another significant step in validating the use of SAF in one of the engines of the A380, a wide-body aircraft with four engines. The growing global demand for lower-emission jet fuel alternatives is there, and the work of producers and suppliers to commercialise SAF and make it available will be critical in the coming years to help Emirates and the wider industry advance our path to lower carbon emissions.”

Jonathan Wood, Vice President Commercial Management and Business Development from Neste’s Renewable Aviation business, commended Emirates for its efforts to pave the way for 100% SAF certification, said “Sustainable aviation fuel plays a crucial role in reducing the emissions of air travel, but to fully leverage its decarbonization potential, we need to enable the use of 100% SAF. Test flights like this Emirates A380 flight using Neste’s SAF are an important step towards 100% SAF certification, and we applaud Emirates for its efforts to help pave the way forward. Neste is working closely together with partners to accelerate the availability and use of SAF, and we look forward to growing the supply of SAF into Dubai.”

Emirates and Neste recently expanded their partnership to supply over 9,000 tons (3 million gallons) of blended Neste MY Sustainable Aviation Fuel™ for Emirates’ flights departing from Amsterdam Schiphol and Singapore Changi airports between 2024 and 2025.

Sustainable aviation fuel offers a renewable and eco-friendly alternative to conventional fossil-based jet fuel, with Neste’s SAF reducing greenhouse gas emissions by up to 80%*** over its life cycle. It is made from sustainably sourced, 100% renewable waste and residue raw materials, such as used cooking oil and animal fat waste. SAF can be seamlessly blended with conventional jet fuel and is compatible with existing aircraft engines and fueling infrastructure.

*) HEFA-SPK: Hydroprocessed Esters and Fatty Acids – Synthetic Paraffinic Kerosene; one of the seven approved pathways for the production of SAF and currently the only commercially viable production pathway and the pathway Neste uses to produce SAF.

**) Virent supplied HDO-SAK: Hydro Deoxygenated Synthetic Aromatic Kerosene. SAK produced by Virent is made from plant-based feedstocks. It provides the aromatics in the fuel necessary in order to ensure the proper swelling of the elastomeric seals in the fuel systems and prevent leakage.

***) When used in neat form (i.e. unblended) and calculated with established life cycle assessment (LCA) methodologies, such as CORSIA methodology

Further information:

Neste: Please contact Neste’s media service, tel. +358 800 94025 / media@neste.com (weekdays from 8.30 a.m. to 4.00 p.m. EET). Please subscribe to Neste’s releases at https://www.neste.com/for-media/releases-and-news/subscribe.

Emirates Airlines: Please contact Rula Tadros, tel. +971566848854 / rula.tadros@emirates.com

Neste in brief

Neste (NESTE, Nasdaq Helsinki) creates solutions for combating climate change and accelerating a shift to a circular economy. The company refines waste, residues and innovative raw materials into renewable fuels and sustainable feedstock for plastics and other materials.

As the world’s leading producer of sustainable aviation fuel and renewable diesel and a forerunner in developing renewable and circular feedstock solutions for polymers and chemicals, Neste helps its customers to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions by at least 20 million tons annually by 2030.

The company’s ambition is to make the Porvoo oil refinery in Finland the most sustainable refinery in Europe by 2030. Neste is committed to reaching carbon-neutral production by 2035, and will reduce the carbon emission intensity of sold products by 50% by 2040. Neste has also set high standards for biodiversity, human rights and the supply chain. The company has consistently been included in the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices and the Global 100 list of the world’s most sustainable companies. In 2022, Neste’s revenue stood at EUR 25.7 billion. Read more: neste.com

About Emirates 

The Emirates story started in 1985 when we launched operations with just two aircraft. Today, we fly the world’s biggest fleets of Airbus A380s and Boeing 777s, offering our customers the comforts of the latest and most efficient wide-body aircraft in the skies. We inspire travelers around the world with our growing network of worldwide destinations, industry leading inflight entertainment, regionally inspired cuisine, and world-class service. https://www.emirates.com/

SOURCE: Neste Corporation